My three visits to Stafford, at a rate of roughly one every
twenty years, have all been whistle-stop affairs. We called in at the sheds [5C]
as part of an intensive cycling expedition on 12/4/64, having already bunked round
Wellington [84H] on our way from Shrewsbury youth hostel to Rudyard Lake. With
Stoke [5D] ahead of us to fit into a busy day, we could not have hung around
any longer than it took to jot down - D267, 73026, D320, 42267, 45622
Nyasaland, 42970, 45344, 47590, 48255, D2221, 47518, 92016, D5009, 42104,
42186, D2385, 45660 Rooke, 42066, 47665, 42488, 47359, 47622, 47598, 45110,
45572 Eire.
We called in with friends more recently, staying long enough
on that occasion to sit down and have a coffee and admire the former cinema in
the town centre that has been converted into a pub, as part of the JD
Wetherspoon chain. It’s good to see old buildings receiving a new lease of life
in a way that preserves many of their original internal features.
True to form, then, on Saturday I arrived almost half way
through proceedings at Blessed William Howard Catholic School. I looked him up
when I got home. He had been executed as a traitor in 1680. Apparently King
Charles II [King Class No. 6009] had “tears in his eyes” when he [supposedly
reluctantly] signed the death warrant – but obviously not enough tears to
prevent him from seeing what he was doing. The Catholic church beatified
William Howard in 1929.
A big sign attached to the wall told me that I was in the
right place and another with equally large lettering pointed me towards the
Sixth Form Centre Sports Hall, which had its own notice, “No ball games,” though
that seemed a little contradictory. There were signs everywhere and that was
even before I had ventured inside.
Round the next corner, I was faced with a chalk board
promising “Hot Roast Pulled Pork,” from a van claiming, “Good food to go. Food
is where the heart is.” The very jovial auctioneer allowed everyone plenty of
time to sample it during the lengthy lunch break that I was just in time for.
There were some splendid plates on offer, however, including
the cab-side from the first of the ex-GWR Hall Class No. 4900 Saint Martin, an
impressive string of totems from the Newton Abbot to Kingswear line and the
ex-Manchester United footballer Gordon Hill’s personal seat back.
“World records will fall,” was the aside shared with me by
one of Stafford Railwayana Auction’s official assistants. This failed to
happen, though, in the case of vehicle registration plates CPT 1, which did not
meet an obviously hefty reserve.
Before I left, my attention was drawn to a school notice
board with a quote from Muhammad Ali, “Don’t count the days. Make the days
count.” There was also a “who’s who” display for the Sixth Form Management Team
that included a Student Leader of Catholicity. Nor was my day of signs quite
over. One more that caught my eye on the way home was the Old Knotty Way in
Uttoxeter.
I wondered if Muhammad Ali and the current Student Leader of
Catholicity would approve of the use that I had made of my time on Saturday. Re-visiting
Stafford and investigating an auction venue that was new to me probably came
into the plus column, but, on the other hand, I could have been in trouble in
some quarters for forgetting to take my mobile phone and my sun glasses with
me, yet again.
Mike Roche, Mike
Priestley, Ian Hughes and Rick Irvine on another cycling and youth hostelling
adventure a year after our visit to Stafford, this time reaching Stratford-upon-Avon
and Oxford, in April 1965.
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